Actors can't out-bluff amateur in poker tournament

Theater company raises money at eighth annual Gala

Anna Smeragliuolo and Elizabeth French played as a team in the Kensington Arts Theatre Charity Poker Tournament despite different betting philosophies. KAT's annual Fundraising Gala had a retro Vegas theme this year.

It would seem a bunch of actors would make a great bunch of poker players, but at Saturday's charity Texas Hold Em tournament at the Kensington Arts Theatre Gala, it was a non-actress who stole the show.

Markita Williams, 24, of Waldorf, came to the gala as a tag-along with her cousin Teresa McGuire, whose mother donated two cakes to the event. Williams left with first place—a set of poker chips, a card shuffler and two tickets to each of the shows KAT will produce in the coming season.

The evening's "Luck be a Lady" theme evoked retro Vegas, but Williams said her own card-playing origins are less flashy.

"I never knew anything about Lady Luck, KAT," Williams said. "I play with the boys, my husband taught me how to play. I play in people's basements."

Williams beat out the likes of Elizabeth French, KAT's former artistic director, who traveled from New York just to attend the Gala with the people she considers her family. French was also playing family, as both of her parents were in the tournament too.

"I love to gamble. I love the excitement, the sport, the friendly banter and trash talk," said French, who played a team hand with her friend Anna Smeragliuolo. "We're kind of losing, but we're having so much fun."

Doe Kim, the tournament organizer, said KAT originally wanted to do a full casino night for its eighth Fundraising Gala, but the logistics of doing it were too difficult, so the theatre group settled for a Vegas-theme, with luck and money oriented show tunes and Texas Hold Em Poker.

"I was thinking the game of Texas Hold Em is really popular, really, really popular now," Kim said. The tournament had a $40 buy-in, all of which went to KAT.

Ultimately a Boston wedding kept Kim's own poker buddies from making the tournament, which was a single table with nine players. About 50 people attended the gala, which raised $1,800 and which will help fund KAT's upcoming season, featuring "The Rocky Horror Show" in October, "Rent" in February and "Violet" in the spring.

Kim speculated the recession, along with patrons on vacation, was putting an attendance damper on the otherwise high-rolling evening. Last year the event raised about $9,000.

"There has been a drop off in attendance for certain shows," Kim said.

McGuire, Williams' cousin, only made bets at the silent auction, but was unsurprised by Williams' success at the poker table.